Surge in cell phone use during eclipse prompts fears: Will you lose service?
State officials in New York warned that during the solar eclipse, when populations in the northern and western parts of the state are expected to surge with visitors, cellphone grids could get overloaded by call demands. State officials in New York have warned that so many people are expected to flood into the state to watch the April 8 solar eclipse that it could overwhelm cellphone services. Over 3.7 million people are predicted to travel from outside the path of totality into the belt where the total eclipse will occur, leading to service failures. The last time a total eclipse passed over the United States, AT&T reported a 40% increase in text messaging and a 15% rise in voice calls in the 24 hours before the eclipse. Public safety officials have expressed concern that the surge in numbers could stress local systems and disrupt roadways. While the cellphone grids could become overloaded, the 9-11 system, which operates with land lines, should continue to operate.
Published : a month ago by RHiggs, Robert Higgs | [email protected], Robert Higgs in Tech Science
ALBANY, New York – State officials warned this week that so many people are expected to pour into the state to watch the April 8 solar eclipse that it could overwhelm cellphone services.
Great American Eclipse, an information site online, predicts more than 3.7 million people could travel from their homes outside the path of totality into the belt where the total eclipse will occur.
Those population surges could overload the cellphone grids, leading to service failures.
Related: Solar eclipse path 2024: Search for best viewing time for any city by ZIP code
“Cell phone coverage may be a challenge that day,” Jackie Bray, commissioner of New York’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, said Tuesday at a news conference.
“While we are surging resources in terms of additional coverage and while we are basically expanding the band width that 9-1-1 could use, it is possible that cell phones will get a bit overloaded,” Bray said.
In 2017, the last time a total eclipse passed over the United States, AT&T registered a 40% increase in text messaging and a 15% increase in voice calls in the 24 hours before the eclipse, Unilad reported.
Cellphone service providers say they have been bolstering their systems to get ready for the boost in call loads.
The 14 states in the path of totality in 2017 raked in hundreds of millions of tourism dollars from people flocking to them to see the natural wonder. And those numbers were stunning.
Nebraska estimated more than 708,000 came to the state for the event, Forbes reported. Wyoming, with a population of 578,000, added about 473,000 for the eclipse. An estimated 1.6 million flocked into South Carolina.
Because this year’s eclipse will pass through more states with much greater populations, NASA predicts the surge will be greater. About 31.6 million people live in the path of totality, compared to 12 million in 2017. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path of totality.
That belt passes over parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Public safety officials have expressed concern that the surging numbers could stress local systems and plug roadways. Their worries range from distracted drivers and gridlocked traffic from out-of-towners flocking to view the spectacle to an increased demand for food, water, and fuel.
One town supervisor in New York told Newsweek he was “scared as hell” about the task facing his team covering mountain roads and neighborhoods in his northern part of the state.
The path through New York will run along the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario shores before passing through the northern part of the state and the Adirondack Mountains.
Bray, at the news conference Tuesday, said New York state is loading up staffing for safety forces. It also encourages people to be ready for delays.
“Do not assume that you’re going to leave home two hours before the eclipse and get home two hours after the eclipse,” Bray said. “Plan to come early and stay late.”
And while the cellphone grids could become overloaded, the 9-11 system, which also works with land lines, should continue to operate, Bray said.
“9-1-1 will continue to work. 9-1-1 works even when our cellphone grid is overloaded,” Bray said. “But only use 9-1-1 for true emergencies. Being stuck in traffic, if you are OK, is not a true emergency.”